An unresolved connection problem is in the area of the common click-fit garden hose fitting. The prior art generally has a thread able hose to fitting connection and the connectors fit together via a click-fit male to female arrangement sealed with an O-ring. However it is well known that these items work quite well when new but soon become problematic:                1. The click-fit becomes difficult to use, perhaps due to retained foreign bodies such as dirt and sand found in a garden environment.        2. The threadable hose to fitting connection becomes difficult to use,        3. Small part details, e.g. plastic lugs and barbs, bend or break making the items problematic to assemble,        4. When the hose is pulled the hose to fitting connection fails,        5. The connection leaks.        
Generally the connection and or relative orientation of two or more objects often can be a critical aspect of the way the objects perform their function.
Expansionary or taper locks are used in prior art hardware and fasteners where a pull force, linear or rotary, on an inner shaft element, causes a dimensional change to another outer part, and the locking action is achieved primarily by an interference fit. For example:                1. Utilizing pull forces:                    a. In conventional aluminium rivets the central shaft element, generally steel, part is pulled, causing plastic expansion of the aluminium outer part, and thereby secures, for example, sheet metal together.            b. In a Rawl™ bolt, or a masonry anchor bolt, a pull force arrived at by threaded engagement, causes an outer element to expand and lock in a cavity.            c. In a cavity wall fitting the rotation of a central threaded element causes a pull force on an element in the wall cavity, leading to an increase in diameter, and the expansion element to secure against the inner (cavity side) surface of the lining or plaster board.                        2. Utilizing push forces:                    a. In a wall plug situation, (used for example for securing into a blind hole previously drilled in a brick wall), a push force causes the threaded element to engage into the wall plug and expands it in the blind hole. The push force can only be operated from the one side and the assembly process has the two parts moving closer together as the securing action occurs.            b. When a nail is hammered into a piece of wood there is to be seen a push force which makes its own aperture and interference fit. Prior to the use of the nail there is no aperture and the fastener makes an aperture.            c. A variant of a push force is in the common garden fitting which applies its push force via rotary action of a nut with an internal thread that engages to the main body.                        
In all the above cases a pull or turn force is applied to a central ‘shaft’ element. The fixing force pulls the elements together, or pushes the elements together. Unfortunately the connections are overly reliant upon the use of a tool, or the skill, strength, and intent of the person using the parts. It would be much better if connections had some or all of the following general characteristics:                1. The parts can be put together without tools, and        2. The parts can be put together only one way, and        3. The locking force is somewhat automatic and not reliant upon the skill, strength, and intent of the person using the parts, and        4. The locking force were defined by the parts—not the person, and        5. The lock was binary in character—off or on—and the intermediary “partially secure” steps were either impossible to arrive at, obvious, or very unlikely to be arrived at. This outcome is more likely by obvious tactile, vibratory, auditory of visual cues.        
The problems with present connections can be illustrated with reference to garden hose fittings, and “quick connect” plumbing fittings.                1. With a garden hose connection a common scenario is the difficulty in operating a threaded hose pipe connection which is generally a compression fitting where a threaded collar compresses a sleeve element onto a plain hose pipe. These fittings are common, but of course used in an environment where there is often soil or other debris to foul the thread. These thread based garden hose fittings also often have problems with adequate sealing, requiring significant tightening. It would be better it the items were easier to operate, more durable and avoided threaded connection altogether. Better yet would be a hose connection which is somewhat binary so the item is clearly locked and sealed or not so. In this way the user would be confident of the connection.        2. In recently developed “quick-connect” plumbing fittings, such as by Watts™ the general principle is that the plain copper or Pex™ hose/pipe is inserted and expands a sleeve element and then a sealing element—an o-ring. However if the insertion is only partial the pipe will be secured but the o-ring not engaged leading to failure initially or over time. It would be much better if the sealing and connection occurred at the same location and that there was a binary—“OFF or ON”—aspect to the connection. It would also be beneficial if there was a clear audible click, seating vibration, or similar to confirm the successful connection has occurred.        
All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein; this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.
It is acknowledged that the term ‘comprise’ may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term ‘comprise’ shall have an inclusive meaning—i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term ‘comprised’ or ‘comprising’ is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.
It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.